Information and communication technology(ICT) around the world in the 21st century presents a new vision of agriculture. Time, place, and the high-tech industry to overcome barriers to the fusion of the so-called “smart agriculture” is changing the landscape of agriculture. Precision Agriculture’s core container production for the mushroom cultivation temperature, humidity, irradiation, self-regulation, such as carbon dioxide, the optimal environment for mushroom cultivation was implemented. The Lentinula edodes (shiitake) is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed in many Asian countries. It is considered a medicinal mushroom in some forms of traditional medicine. The fungus was first described scientifically as Agaricus edodes by Miles Joseph Berkeley in 1877. It was placed in the genus Lentinula by David Pegler in 1976. We controlled different light source (Blue-Red-White combined LED, blue LED, red LED and fluorescent light) with different intensity of LED irradiation (1.5, 10.5, 20.5 μmol/m2s for LEDs) to compare growth and development. Lights were treated with 12 hour on/ 12hour off cycle maintained in a controlled room with 19 ~ 21oC temperature, 80~90% humidity, and 1,000 ppm CO2 atmosphere concentration for 30 days. Growth and development differed from the LED color source and intensity of LED irradiation. Growth and development was most effective in 10.5 μmol/m2s for blue LED. All LED light sources showed less growth and development in lowest intensity of irradiation, which indicates that higher than 1.5 μmol/m2s for LED is not effective. After harvesting fruit bodies, we measured their weight and length, thickness of pileus and stipe, chromaticity, and hardness. 10.5 μmol/m2s blue LED group was the best result of harvest with average individual weight (24.7g) and length (61.98mm), thickness (29.93mm) of pileus and length (33.60mm), thickness (16.86mm) of stipe with fine chromaticity, hardness. This results show us that 10.5 μmol/m2s blue LED was the best effect on growth and development of Lentinus edodes (shiitake) mushroom’s ICT system container type environment.

Genus Litochila Momoi belonging to the tribe Hemigasterini is represented by eight species from Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan and India. Modern taxonomic revision of this genus was carried out by Kaur (1988). He and Chen (1996) enlarged the genus by adding one species, L. guizhouensis He & Chen from the oriental part of China. They provided a key to Chinese species and descriptions without including L. sinensis Kaur which was previously reported from Fujian, China by Kaur (1988). As a part of a large revisionary work of the subfamily Cryptinae, four species, L. nohirai (Uchida), L. carbonaria (Smith), L. jezonica (Uchida) and L. sinensis, are recognized from Korea. L. carbonaria. L. sinensis and L. jezonica are reported from Korea for the first time. The species L. guizhouensis is synonymized with L. sinensis. The distinction of females of two closely resembling species, L. carbonaria and L. jezonica, is possible by the number of flagellar segments, the shape of mesopleurum and second tergite, but males are difficult to identify. Momoi and Okamoto (1965) relied on the number of tyloids to identify them, and Kaur (1988) used the shape of postpetiole except for such character. However, our observations revealed these characters are not useful in relating these males, because many variations were found in these characters. Therefore, further DNA studies will be required to resolve this controversy.

Tribe Banchini isa cosmopolitan tribe comprising 228 species within 11 genera whereas only three genera (Banchus, Exetastes and Rynchobanchus) have been recorded from Korea. The species of this tribe is koinobiont endoparacitoid that parasitize exposed large caterpillars, especially those pupating in the ground. For this reason, tribe Banchini has very short ovipositor when compared with that of other tribe. It is easily distinguished from two other tribes by the nervellus which is intercepted far from the middle and by having large areolet and very short ovipositor. Genus Exetastes belonging to Banchini is a largest group with 150 worldwide species. The Eastern Palaearctic region is represented by 48 species, but only five species, E. albiger Kriechbaumer, E. fornicator (Fabricius), E. ichneumoniformis (Gravenhorst), E. ishikawensis (Uchida) and E. komarovi Kokujev have been reported from Korea. Exetastes is distinguished from two other genera by the presence of prepectal carina and by having pointed upper tooth of mandible. The objectives of this work is to review the genus Exetastes and to report two unrecorded species (E. longipes Uchida and E. sapponensis Uchida) from Korea. Here we provide the diagnosises and photographs of Korean Exetastes species.

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol with a variety of functions including bactericidal and anticariogenic effects. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying the role of xylitol in bone metabolism are not yet clarified. In our present study, we exploited the physiological role of xylitol on osteoclast dif-ferentiation in a co-culture system of osteoblastic and RAW 264.7 cells. Xylitol treatment of these co-cultures reduced the number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)- positive multinucleated cells induced by 10 nM 1α,25(OH)2 D3 in a dose‐dependent manner. A cell viability test revea-led no marked cellular damage by up to 100 mM of xylitol. Exposure of osteoblastic cells to xylitol decreased RANKL, but not OPG, mRNA expression in the presence of 10-8 M 1α,25(OH)2D3 in a dose‐dependent manner. Furthermore, bone resorption activity, assessed on bone slices in the co- culture system, was found to be dramatically decreased with increasing xylitol concentrations. RANKL and OPG proteins were assayed by ELISA and the soluble RANKL (sRANKL) concentration was decreased with an increased xylitol con-centration. In contrast, OPG was unaltered by any xylitol con-centration in this assay. These results indicate that xylitol inhibits 1α,25(OH)2D3-induced osteoclastogenesis by reducing the sRANKL/OPG expression ratio in osteoblastic cells.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most prevalent pathogens in hospitals. To investigate cross contamination by this bacterium in both dental and medical settings, the pathogens that cause acute pyogenic infection and one of the major microbes responsible for nosocomial infection were isolated from health care providers, nurses and patients. We used VITEK II to measure drug sensitivity, and we further performed biochemical testing, coagulase serotype testing and pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for isolated MRSA colonies. The isolation rate of Staphylococcus aureus from nasal swabs was 75.0% from dental health care providers and 18.8% from the medical health care providers. A total of 10 MRSA strains were isolated from 40 health care providers and 2 patients and the prevalent coagulase serotype from patients and health care providers was VII. The antimicrobial drug resistance and partial PFGE types of the isolated MRSA strains showed a similar pattern. These results suggest that MRSA may be one of the principal causes of nosocomial infection in dental and medical hospitals.

The aims of this study were to investigate the nosocomial infection route of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and explore preventative methods for this pathogen that involve blocking its dispersion. We cultured MRSA from nasal cavity swabs collected between June and July 2008 that we obtained from eight dental healthcare providers, 32 nurses and the sputum specimens of two patients from our hospital. In addition, we used VITEK 2 equipment to measure drug sensitivity, and we further performed biochemical testing and pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to isolate MRSA colonies. The incidence of these bacteria on the nasal swabs was 25.0% from dental clinic healthcare providers, 13.6% from the internal medicine ward nurses and 30.0% from intensive care unit nurses. Moreover, MRSA was detectable in sputum specimens of ward patients. The antimicrobial agents resistance and partial PFGE types of MRSA showed a similar pattern. We suggest from these analyses that nasal cavity infection by MRSA could occur by cross contamination between healthcare providers and patients which underscores the importance of stringent MRSA management practices.

Tea plants growing under natural condition meet various stresses. The tea plants often subjected to adverse condition like low temperature and high light intensity during overwintering. Because tea plant is adapted well to low light intensity, higher light intensity might induce negative effects on tea growth at open field (exposed habitat). We investigated tea plant planted with the seeds of wild tea trees growing at Unsu-ri, Hwagaemyun, Hadong-gun on Nov. in 2008. The experimental field for juvenile tea plants was located in the hill neighboring GSNU at Jinju, Korea. We divided the field into open, semi-shaded, and shaded condition. Light intensity (PAR) at open condition was two times and twenty times higher than at semi-shaded and shaded condition, respectively. Growth of tea plants was highly dependent on light condition, the plants at open field was extremely poor as compared to plants grown at shaded field. Height of plants at open, semi-shaded, and shaded field were 14, 17.3, and 17.8 cm, respectively. Leaf size was also greater in plants grown at shaded field. Photosynthesis-related chlorophyll fluorescence (quantum yield) was also higher in shaded plants. Fv/Fm value of plants grown at open fields was lower by 50% as compared to that of the plants grown at shaded field. Chlorophyll content measured by SPAD meter also indicated higher value in open field plant than shaded plants. Our results suggested the photoinhibition during overwintering period strongly affects the growth juvenile tea plants because there was no significant difference in soil moisture content between open and shaded condition.

Soybean sprouts produced at physiological optimal temperature around 20℃ are placed or displayed for several days in market shelf of relatively cool temperature (ca. 13℃). During this period a number of changes occur including changes in color, smell, taste, nutritional quality, and etc. In order to know the changes, soybean sprouts packed in plastic film bag were stored at different temperature of 3℃and 13℃. Morphological characters, physicochemical changes and enzymes activity related to soybean quality (color) were examined. Although the number of fine roots and hypocotyl length were greater in sybean sprouts stored at 13℃, there was no significant difference in diameter, fresh weight and dry weight of hypocotyl between storage temperatures. Browning of hypocotyl known as typical deterioration in sprout quality was highly dependent on the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in hypocotyl. Considering the low level of soluble protein in hypocotyl, the relatively higher activity of PPO suggested a critical role of PPO in stored soybean sprout. PPO activity of sprouts stored at 13℃ was 2 times higher than that of sprouts stored at 3℃ after 4 days. The PPO activity was observed no longer than 6 day in sprouts stored at 13℃. Crude protein content was increased to 30.9～35.4% on a dry weight basis as storage period was extended. The changes in crude protein was more higher in sprouts stored at higher temperature (13℃). Total free amino acid content was increased in both temperatures. However, the changing rate was greater in sprouts stored at 13℃.